Reconstructive surgery

NEUROMA PAIN AFTER AMPUTATIONS – IMPROVEMENT THROUGH INNOVATIVE SURGICAL TECHNIQUES

An amputation in itself is a drastic event for those affected. After an amputation, mobility or activity in daily life is often severely restricted. However, these restrictions are often not the only symptoms. In particular, many clients suffer from the dreaded phantom pain or so-called neuroma pain. This occurs when injured or severed nerves regenerate. The regenerating nerve fibres form a kind of knot that is extremely sensitive to pressure. A neuroma forms. Touch or pressure causes electrifying sensations. Many activities can then not be carried out. Even a prosthesis becomes unbearable due to neuroma pain after amputation.

This is not a rare phenomenon. Almost two thirds of all clients complain of neuroma pain after an amputation.

To date, however, neuroma pain has mainly been treated conservatively. Even though conservative treatment methods often do not bring any improvement and cannot be effectively alleviated with painkillers. Even conventional surgical methods only help in rare cases of neuroma pain after amputations.

That is why we at the ETHIANUM Clinic in Heidelberg use two surgical methods from the USA that have shown promising results. Our microsurgeons have been specially trained and qualified for these operations.

Hochmoderne Operationstechniken bei Neuromschmerzen – Linderung in Aussicht

Prof Paul Cederna, Head of Plastic Surgery at the University of Michigan, taught us the latest and most modern surgical techniques for the treatment of neuroma pain. According to his studies, neuroma pain in the hand and upper extremities improves by 85% within 37 weeks using his surgical method. Similar results are also achieved after operations on the lower extremities, making it possible to wear orthoses and prostheses again after an amputation.

Modern microsurgeons are now already using these innovative surgical methods during amputation so that the formation of a symptomatic neuroma can be prevented immediately and postoperatively.

These are the two microsurgical surgical methods for neuroma pain:

TMR (Target Muscle Reinnervation) – Targeted Reinnervation

• The nerves that are functional up to the amputation site are implanted in muscle segments that are not supplied by nerves
• The surgically repositioned nerve stumps grow in
• Prosthesis control can be significantly improved
• The nerves at risk of neuroma are put to good use

RPNI (Regenerative Peripheral Neural Interface)

• The nerves or nerve bundles are sutured into freely transferred muscle segments
• The nerve endings grow into the muscle segment and innervate it
• Painful neuroma formation is prevented or can be treated in this way

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